Yuba County
Biographies
JAMES
O’BRIEN
JAMES O’BRIEN. An honorable place among the
representative citizens of the Sacramento valley is accorded James O’Brien, who
has been identified with the mining interests of California for more than a
half century. When he came to the state
in 1853 like the great majority of the emigrants of that time he brought
nothing to presage the successful career which was to be his, but with the
courage of youth, the optimistic nature inherited from his Irish forefathers,
and the ability to grasp and make use of the multifold opportunities presented,
he has overcome all obstacles and compelled fruitful returns for his
efforts. Age has not robbed him of the
energy which has distinguished his life, and although seventy-three years old
he still retains his activity and interest in business affairs about him, and
is still accounted the leading mining man and rancher of Yuba county, where he has spent the greater part of his life in
the west.
A native of County Cork, Ireland,
Mr. O’Brien was born May 2, 1832, and when fourteen years of age was brought to
the United States by his parents. They
settled in Westfield, Mass., and in that locality he worked out for a farmer
about five years. Resolving to take a
part in the stirring scenes being enacted in California, he left Massachusetts
in May, 1853, and came to the Pacific coast by the Nicaragua route, arriving in
San Francisco on the 3d (sic) of July of the same year. He made the trip thence to Marysville by
steamer, after which he went to Barton’s bar, on the Yuba river, in Yuba county. Following he
spent the summer in the mines and the winter seasons in prospecting. For four years he remained so occupied and in
the meantime had become interested in the irrigation project of this section, and
had built the Oroville ditch by contract. In 1858 he built the Boyer ditch, a distance
of twenty-five miles, extending from Deer creek to Smartville,
and the following year built the Excelsior ditch, from the South Yuba to Smartville, a distance of about thirty-four miles. In the fall of 1859 he contracted and built
the Knights Landing road to Putah creek, extending
across Yolo county, and in this way was largely
identified with the development of this section of the state. In the fall of the next year he came to Smartville, Yuba county, and
bought mining property, and shortly afterward was associated with Prof. William
Ashburner, Messrs. Walker, Baker and Hage, of San Francisco, in the building of the Packtolas tunnel, at a cost of $80,000. Of the ten shares Mr. O’Brien was the owner
of five, and was accordingly made superintendent of the mine, which interests
he operated successfully for some years, when they consolidated with the Blue
Gravel and Excelsior mines. With the
added responsibilities he continued in the position for about four years, when
the property was sold to eastern capitalists.
About that time (1882) there was considerable litigation over mining
operations, and the hydraulic process was stopped, thereby causing Mr. O’Brien
considerable loss. Withdrawing to a
large extent from mining operations, he turned his attention to farming.
Purchasing a tract of ninety-two hundred acres on the Yuba river, in Yuba county, he began ranching and stock-raising. He was very successful in his work and also
fortunate in his choice of land, as later he sold four hundred and forty-two
acres to Mr. Hammond for $200 per acre, and twelve hundred acres to Mr.
Cranston for $300 and $350 per acre, the latter being just across the river
from the other. Mr. Hammond has put in
two large dredgers, taking out $3,000 per day, and on that location the town of
Hammond sprang up in a couple of years. Mr. O’Brien has also bonded four
thousand acres to a Mr. Hanford, while he rents the remainder of his property
for cash on a ten-year lease. He still
owns over seven thousand acres of land, principally devoted to grazing and the
raising of grain.
Mr. O’Brien is now interested in the
promotion of an enterprise which promises much toward the added development of
Yuba county when carried to a successful issue.
This is the Nevada and Marysville Water and Power Company, which expects
to dam the river at the Narrows, near Smartville, and
there to use the water for power, irrigation of the land north of Yuba river, and afterward dredge the river bed, which is rich in
gold. This is a great undertaking,
especially in consideration of the age of Mr. O’Brien, but he confidently
expects to carry it through and when completed will stand as one of the best
investments in the state.
In October, 1860, Mr. O’Brien was
united in marriage with Mary Corby, a native of Ireland, whom he had met before
emigrating to the west, and who made the trip to California to become his
wife. She died October 10, 1898, leaving
the following children: Mary, wife of J. P. Pierce, of Santa Clara, Cal.;
Kittie, wife of Dr. Holbrook, of San Jose, Cal.; Josie, Helen and Agnes, at
home; Isabelle, who took the veil in the convent at Oakland; James, a mining
man and the owner of Bunker Hill mine, in Plumas county; and William, an
assistant to his father in the management of his property. A Democrat in his political convictions, Mr.
O’Brien has never cared personally for the emoluments of public office on
account of his engrossing business interests.
With his family he is a communicant of the Roman Catholic Church, and
takes a strong interest in its advancement.
Through his efforts the fine church of this denomination was located and
built in this locality in an early day, and toward its
support since no one man has been more liberal.
He is an enterprising and substantial citizen and is justly entitled to
the position of esteem and respect accorded him.
Transcribed by
Doralisa Palomares.
Source:
“History of the State of California and
Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California” by J.
M. Guinn. Pages
399-400. Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1906.
© 2017 Doralisa Palomares.
Golden Nugget
Library's Yuba County Biographies